How severe is CVE-2021-23239?

CVE-2021-23239 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.5, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-23239 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (60th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-23239?

CVE-2021-23239 primarily affects Sudo Project Sudo. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-23239?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-23239 published?

CVE-2021-23239 was published on 2021-01-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-23239

CVE-2021-23239 is a low-severity vulnerability in Sudo Project Sudo with a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: Low (CVSS 3.x base score 2.5)
CVSS v2: 1.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (60th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Sudo Project Sudo
Published: 2021-01-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The sudoedit personality of Sudo before 1.9.5 may allow a local unprivileged user to perform arbitrary directory-existence tests by winning a sudo_edit.c race condition in replacing a user-controlled directory by a symlink to an arbitrary path.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-23239?: The sudoedit personality of Sudo before 1.9.5 may allow a local unprivileged user to perform arbitrary directory-existence tests by winning a sudo_edit.c race condition in replacing a user-controlled directory by a symlink to an arbitrary path.
How severe is CVE-2021-23239?: CVE-2021-23239 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.5, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-23239 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (60th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-23239?: CVE-2021-23239 primarily affects Sudo Project Sudo. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-23239?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-23239 published?: CVE-2021-23239 was published on 2021-01-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:a:sudo_project:sudo:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:cloud_backup:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:hci_management_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:solidfire:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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